The Witches’ Brew, Devious Gurus & Pied Piper Seducers Part 1: Apologetics

By Riaan Engelbrecht

The Witches' Brew, Devious Gurus & Pied Piper Seducers Part 1 and 2 sketch an honest and no-holds-barred prophetic reality of the state of the Church and the dangers she faces. Make no mistake, we are living in times of great deception and apostasy, and the Church has been seduced, manipulated and tricked into believing the devil's schemes, lies and foolish wisdom and also to embrace wilfully such a diabolical agenda. For ignorance is not bliss when it comes to obeying and heeding God's command to walk in God's truth, perfect will, holiness, way and life. God is not a liar, yet we have heeded the dark and destructive temptations of this world. We are lost at sea, tossed to and fro by every wind of teaching. Spiritual gurus and deceptive 'pied pipers' have woven their 'magic' to beguile believers to embrace a different reality and truth. So many people in churches these days are willing to drink from a poisonous cup. And the poison is not literal, but a devilish concoction of mixing the Gospel with New Age teachings, paganism and even the occult!  Because of the actions of so many spiritual leaders and even politicians dating back to Constantine, the devil has been allowed to camp inside the church, just as the Jewish elders were busy with witchcraft in the heart of the tabernacle (Ezekiel 8). For so many hundreds of years, the devil has managed to work his 'magic' within the ranks of the church. Preacher Charles Spurgeon is credited with saying, "A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats." Such a time has been with us for a while. The Lord is seeking those who will only listen to Him, and not dance to the malicious tune of idolatry and spiritual apostasy. Shall we seek the true eternal Kingdom, or a kingdom of spiritual quicksand, peril, and self-destruction? Are we following the Spirit of God and grounded in God's Word, or are we led astray by the spirit of error and the macabre melody of the world's narratives?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Riaan Engelbrecht
• Release date: Nov 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005198305

Riaan Engelbrecht

Ps Riaan Engelbrecht is the founder of Avishua Ministries, the vice-president of Lighthouse Ministries International and the station manager of Lighthouse Radio. His ministry deals primarily with the prophetic, but he also has a passion to teach the Truth of the Lord Jesus and His Kingdom for only the Truth of the Lord sets us free (John 8:32).  He is also a qualified and seasoned journalist.

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Can we handle the truth?

There are few one-liners more memorable than Jack Nicholson's You can't handle the truth! from the 1992 military courtroom drama A Few Good Men.

Remember the movie? Well, two stubborn Marines have been accused of murdering a colleague. Following a trial, it emerged they were ordered to do so as part of a Code Red, which refers to hazing  (an activity that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers someone regardless of a person's willingness to participate). Nicholson played the role of Col. Nathan Jessup, who was the one who ordered the Code Red that led to the death of the Marine.

That one-liner has always stuck with me because I often wonder if the church also cannot handle the truth. Why else would the church constantly rebel against God’s Word, His will and truth for at least 1700 years? Partly, it has to do with a lack of yielding and submitting to the Spirit of God, who leads us in all truth. Partly also because of our stubborn nature as human beings, because of our carnality and selfish pride.

Psalm 145 says, 17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 20 The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever. If we truly love the Lord, then we shall love His truth and uphold it. If we truly love His truth, we shall prosper, and it shall go well with us.

2 Timothy 4 warns us that people will turn away from the truth. And this is not the truth of man or any denomination, but the truth of God. And such truth bends for no one. It cannot be compromised, manipulated or distorted for one's own gain. Oh yes, we have certainly tried to do so a long time, but God’s truth remains, and if we are not yielded and submitted to it, then we are in rebellion.

In Matthew 27, Pontius Pilate faces Jesus, and we read, 11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him, It is as you say. 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Pilate was facing The Truth and the Word that became flesh! Yet Jesus said nothing to the chief priests and elders because they could not handle such a truth. They were rebellious in nature, and their eyes were spiritually closed to the truth as presented by Jesus.

There is a Scripture in Mark 8 that reads: 27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, Who do men say that I am? 28 So they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets. 29 He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered and said to Him, You are the Christ." This is a question I strongly believe the Lord is asking us all in this day and in this hour. To us and to you, who is He? Because if He is truly our King and Lord, we shall yield to such truth and the truth of His Kingdom. If we, however, rebel against it, how can He be our true Lord?

Sadly, even in some churches, Jesus has been reduced to being a mere historical figure, or to a Santa Claus prototype of delivering gifts, while some religions have reduced Him to be a mere prophet and other esoteric movements have reduced him to merely being a master of knowledge. For this reason, His truth is not regarded as holy, absolute and must be upheld without question.

In Scriptures, we find three powerful encounters between man and God – one at the burning bush, two on the road to Damascus, and three on the island of Patmos. At the bush, Moses encountered the Great I Am, Paul encountered the living Lord, and John encountered the victorious Lamb that returns as the Lion of Judah. All three could say without a doubt who this mighty God is. Who is God to you? A mere friend? A confidant? Do you treat him like a bank manager? Sure, He is our friend, and sure, we may not all have a powerful encounter like Moses, Paul or John did, but God reveals Himself to each and every one of us in a unique way. The encounter may be different, but the purpose remains the same. The purpose is to answer the question posed by Jesus in Mark 8, But who do you say that I am? The answer we give will determine if we truly will walk in His truth.

Peter answered and said the Christ, or in some versions, it speaks about the Messiah. Who is this Lord? A mere historical figure? A man with a vision? A prophet? A teacher? A philosopher? It is simple. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is God Himself. He is our Saviour, Redeemer, Master, the King of kings, Lord of Lords, our Teacher, our Messiah, our Hope, the Way, the Truth, the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, the alpha and the omega, the one worthy to open the scrolls, and He is the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world was laid and He is the Lion that returns in all His Glory!

Is He a mere prophet? A mere teacher? Never, for by His Name all disease, all illness, all things that are dreaded and all things that are vile and unnatural shall bow. He is Jesus! He is the Truth!

If we truly yield to God, then we must allow such truth to transform us. Romans 12 says 1 I beseech] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The word transform comes from the Greek word metamorphóœ, the root word for metamorphosis, which means to change radically in inner character, condition, or nature. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines metamorphosis as a change of physical form, structure, or substance, especially by supernatural means.

Paul’s use of metamorphóœ in 2 Corinthians 3:18 as well as in Romans 12:2 represents the thorough change in the nature of a Christian’s life as it conforms to God’s will. This change is dependent on God’s mercy (Romans 12:1) and the action of His Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17).  It is the will of God to transform our lives. God did not choose us because we were good; He chose us because He wanted to transform us into His servants. God often picks people that the world cannot treasure.

As He changes them, they become His instruments to glorify Him.  He called us because He loves us and has the power to change us into His instruments. That is why it is important for every believer to deliberately take time in God’s presence and yield to His Holy Spirit because this is where the work of transformation begins.

Philippians 2 says 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure, and also 1 Peter 2: 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

It is time we must really decide if we wish to walk in God’s truth or not. It reminds me of a vision God showed me in 2012. The Lord showed a garbage truck parked in front of a church. There were a whole lot of garbage bags lying on the pavement. I was then taken to the inside of the Church, where there was a multitude of refuse bags packed along the aisled. You see, it is time for His children to once and for all get rid of all ‘rubbish’, therefore all things that bring no glory to God. It is time to once and for all take out the trash. It is time we get rid of every idol, every old way, every devious practice, every sin, every rebellious habit, and every religious intent and seek the Lord above all rubbish.

Everything that exalts not God, which hinders our relationship with Him, that separates us from walking in holiness in Him, which hinders our spiritual growth, which pollutes and corrupts, needs to be thrown out like trash. It is time. Because there is no more time to play with God. He cannot be mocked, toyed with, bargained with, or be deceived. What we reap we shall sow. If we sow the wind, we reap the whirlwind.

It says in 2 Timothy 2: 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. 21 So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. 22 Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word, and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

If a house is full of rubbish, then we will struggle to make room for things pure and clean and holy. If we end up with a house [spiritually referring to us being the temples of God] that is full of rubbish while we are trying to store up God’s treasures, then we end up with a house of noble and ignoble and unclean. This cannot be, for we cannot serve two masters says the Lord.  Either we will love the Lord and hate all things that are deemed ‘rubbish’, or we will cling to the ‘rubbish’ and thus make an enemy of God. Either we hold onto His truth and we get rid of the lies, or we hold onto the lies and trash God’s truth. We need to choose.

James 4 says 4 You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God. Matthew 6 declares, 24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).

It is time to make room for God. It is time to make room by getting rid of our rubbish and our trash. It is time to get rid of the ignoble and unclean. It is time we get to the altar of the Lord and seek Him.  We can no longer hold onto the world and expect God’s Hand to move in our lives. In Luke 2, when Mary was about to give birth to Jesus, all the inns were full so that they had to seek a cave for the night. You see, the inns did not make room for Jesus, and so the Lord says that those who are proud and arrogant and stubborn will never make room for God. Those who are proud and arrogant hold onto the things of this life, and they will not carry the cross and deny themselves. They become like those inns – full of promise – but void of the Presence of God. They reject the truth. Yet those who are humble, like that cave, are those who make room for God and the Presence of God will dwell within them. They will be willing to make room for God and His glory. They will be able to handle the truth.

Paul writes the following in Philippians 3: 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. 12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. 15 So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also.

We must have the same mindset as Paul. It is time to press forward, to let go of our old ways once and for all and strive to attain the prize that waits for us. We need to take hold of what God has ordained for us, but we cannot run this race while our lives are cluttered and complicated by the ‘rubbish’ of this world and of the devil.

He also writes in this same passage: 7 But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined] loss for Christ’s sake. 8 Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake, I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One). We must also regard all things of the world and of the devil as mere refuse, in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One).

Shall we oblige, or are we holding on to our ways that hinder our walk with God? Will we continue to resist the truth, or shall we handle it by yielding and submitting? Unless we are utterly and fully committed to God, the truth shall offend us, and we will not be able to handle the truth.

We are not called to stand and preach only some of the truth, but the whole truth and nothing but the truth. May we be guided in this truth and be convicted by such passion to seek and uphold God’s Truth all the time.

Slipping in through the front door

The Trojan horse deception is well documented. It is said that the Trojan horse was the wooden horse used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war. After a fruitless siege that dragged on for years, the Greeks, at the behest of Odysseus, constructed a huge wooden horse and hid a select force of men inside, including Odysseus himself.

The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night, the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, ending the war. Metaphorically, a Trojan horse has come to mean any trick or stratagem that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or place.

And this is exactly what happened with the Church. The enemy knew he could not defeat the Church in the traditional sense, so the devil played a trick. It seduced its way into the church, simply by allowing it to come in through the front door. In the end, because of the actions of so many spiritual leaders and even politicians dating back to Constantine, the devil has been allowed to camp inside the church, just as the Jewish elders were busy with witchcraft in the heart of the tabernacle (Ezekiel 8). The devil remains a sly fox, and the history of the Catholic Church sadly testifies to Christianity that has become a boiling pot of the Gospel, and also worldly elements. This pot of ideas has spilt over to the Protestant churches, and today, throughout the Christian faith, we find a myriad of false teachings, rituals, traditions and cultures.

Yes, the devil simply came in through the front door, for the church was asleep. Some alert watchmen sounded the alarm during the Reformation, but hundreds of years later, sadly, the levels of apostasy and lawlessness are overwhelming in churches. Make no mistake, God has a remnant, which is the true Bride, just as He told Elijah there were 7000 who refused to bow before Baal. The true Bride is the holy priesthood – true followers of Jesus, who is the Way, Truth and Life.

Subsequently, as the devil has slipped in, devious and sly as ever, he has managed to work his ‘magic’ within the ranks of the church. It is said that the best way to hide something is in plain sight. Well, the devil has been operating in the church for a very long time, out in the open! He has corrupted people to corrupt others by distorting the Gospel. And the result? The establishment of a pseudo-religion, which is nothing more than a pejorative for a non-mainstream belief-system or philosophy which is functionally similar to a religious movement. Some pseudo religions are easy to spot, for they look and feel like the real thing, such as Theosophy, corporate Kabbalism, Christian Science, Mormonism and Scientology, but some are very subtle and are well hidden, Such pseudo religions all smack of New Age ideas and some border on being run like a cult and some are a cult without the leader even realising it!

A quasi-religion is a simple something that appears genuine to the real thing. Pseudo means, within the Christian context, a person who falsely claims to be a Christian, thus a hypocrite. William Booth once said, The chief danger of the 20th century will be religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell. How incredibly true. Because a church without the Holy Spirit, without Christ, without preaching repentance or regeneration or hell is a pseudo-religion posing as the real deal. And many churches and ministries pretend they are the real deal, proverbially quacking like a duck and walking like a duck, but if you look closely, they are not a duck.

A pseudo-Christian religion is, therefore, a group of people who follow a leader (group of leaders, organisation) who, while claiming to be Christians and teaching true Christian doctrine, actually distorts and denies fundamental and distinctive doctrines of the Christian faith. Such a counterfeit system is similar to a hybrid, which is an offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, or species, or it can entail a person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions. Since a hybrid is defined as something that is a combination of two different things, a lot of Christian denominations have blended Christianity with New Age ideas and even paganism.

When you consider such a state of affairs, remember the Scriptures speak out against